21 PKK terrorists killed near Iraq border

By Tanju Ozkaya and Musa Can Eraslan

ANKARA (AA) - Airstrikes on PKK targets in an area close to the Iraqi border killed 21 terrorists Thursday, the Turkish military said.

Air and land operations in Cukurca, a mountainous district in the southeastern province of Hakkari, saw two soldiers martyred and five wounded, the Turkish General Staff said in a statement.

The injured soldiers were rushed to the hospitals in the region.

The fighting focused on two areas -- Uzundere Hisar and Guven – between midnight and around 7 a.m. local time (2100 and 0400GMT), the statement said.

Nine terrorists were killed by grounds troops while two others were killed by an armed aerial drone. The remaining 10 terrorists were hit by Turkish Air Force jets at around 8.25 a.m. local time (0525GMT).

Meanwhile, two PKK terrorists were killed during a security operation in Dogubeyazit, close to the Iranian border, the local governor’s office said.

In a statement, the governorate of Agri province said security forces seized two rifles, eight grenades and ammunition during a raid.

The PKK -- listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S., and EU -- resumed its decades-old armed campaign in July last year. Since then, more than 700 security force members have been martyred and around 8,000 PKK terrorists killed or apprehended.